On 27 July, as I was on my way to the hairdresser, about five houses from ours, I saw this . . . In total, 20 wood storks. Were they being fed? I don't know, but I do know it's illegal to do so. But now I know why they had been standing in the other yard several days before. (Linda, my hairdresser, mentioned that one of her clients feeds "her" wood storks boiled chicken breast.) The next day, I went back to see if this was an everyday thing . . . . . . and saw that it was . . . (and, as with dogs, I couldn't stop taking pics, nor could I weed any out, so here goes . . . ) CLICK ON THE ABOVE PIC FOR A VIDEO CLICK ON THE ABOVE PIC FOR A VIDEO (Well, I didn't say they'd be EXCITING videos! And maybe next time I should remember to turn off the car.) They are members of the Slow Walkers of America, an off-shoot of the Slow Talkers of America. A group of storks has many collective nouns, including a clatter of storks, a filth of storks, a muster of storks, a phalanx of storks, and a swoop of storks. We could hear their clattering, so I'll stick with that one.
	I drove around our neighborhood, hoping to see some Roseate Spoonbills after the rainstorm, but all I saw was this GBH along one of the golf course ponds . . .
. . . a bit of a risk of an alligator taking it for a meal, tho. And here is a reason these wild animals shouldn't be fed: I saw one with this and I thought s/he'd caught a black racer [snake]. Then I realized it was a rubber gasket that keeps the screens within the frames of screen houses . . . I slowly walked up to him/her, saying (as I say to the dogs), "GIVE IT". I have to say s/he was pretty good about it, only walking away very slowly and not far. I finally got it; I can only imagine what would've happened if s/he had swallowed it! Also, rather than going over to the slough to eat after the rainstorm, they stayed in the yard and driveway for several hours, awaiting a handout of who-knows-what. I cannot imagine that is good for their health. Here they are at dusk, still awaiting a handout . . .

TOM TURKEY DIRECTS TRAFFIC HERE